Travel & Leisure Ranks Nevis In Top 15 Caribbean Islands

St. Kitts and Nevis (WINN): Nevis has been ranked in the Top 15 Islands in the Caribbean, Bermuda, and the Bahamas, according to Travel & Leisure Magazine.

The list, which was published on Tuesday, is part of Travel & Leisure’s annual World’s Best Award Series, where readers of the magazine rate vacation destinations according to their activities and sights, natural attractions and beaches, food, friendliness, and overall value.

Nevis’ far-reaching reputation and brand in the tourism industry can be attributed to the authenticity of travelers’ experiences when they visit the island, says Chief Executive Officer of the Nevis Tourism Authority, Greg Phillip.

“I think Nevis is as popular as it is and as well-known as it is for the quality of the stay mainly because of truly what’s on Nevis and the way tourism is done on Nevis. It’s a deliberate way for us to fall in terms of making sure we sustain what we have additionally, it’s really done to ensure that what we’ve do with tourism really fits what Nevis is all about. It’s about the size of the island, it’s about us making sure that we are not pretentious, we are not trying to be anybody else but we are trying to be authentically Nevis, and our tourism product in itself reflects that and I think that is what really appeals to people, knowing that when you come to Nevis it’s truly an authentic Nevisian experience.”

Mr. Phillip, speaking with WINNFM, said that Nevis’ unique tourist attractions contribute to the island’s value, and allows Nevis to stand-out as a vacation destination.

“Yes there’s certain things done on Nevis that are not done anywhere else. We can take for example the Nevis Mango and Food and Festival which just passed, that in itself is something that we feel is beginning now to attract a host of people because they hear about it and they recognize that if we want this we have to go for Nevis for it. There are also things like the Nevis to St. Kitts Cross Channel Swim; those are things that are specifically unique to Nevis and yes people come and they enjoy the island but they also get to enjoy such a unique activity. We can also think of Nevis Blues Festival, across the Caribbean there are general music festivals, there are jazz festivals but on Nevis it has one of the few, if not one of the only few blues festivals in the entire Caribbean and things like those believe it or not cause the island to really stand out because for all intents and purposes we seem to, when it comes to tourism, be headed in a totally opposite direction in what the most of the Caribbean might be doing and it’s really by design because we realize that there has to be a respite in this world for Caribbean sameness when it comes to tourism and Nevis is that.”

The future of tourism in Nevis is to transform its cyclical-based tourist activity, with greatest surge of visitors occurring in the wintertime, to make the island a popular leisure spot year-round, according to Greg Phillip.

“I think the future of tourism on Nevis is bright. Across the Caribbean, there is a struggle with the cyclical nature of tourism and I think that on Nevis we are heading towards the tipping point, I can’t say exactly when the tipping point is, but based on the accolades we’ve been getting, the big awareness that there now is about Nevis, and the people that Nevis has been attracting as individuals to visit and as press and public relations, I just think that it’s truly coming when that is going to turn around on the island of Nevis when we will truly be a year round destination, when summer is going to be just as good business wise as it is during the wintertime and other parts of the year.”

Along with ranking number 15 on the Top 15 Caribbean Islands list, Nevis’ Nisbet Plantation Beach Club ranked number three in The Top 25 Resort Hotels in the Caribbean, Bermuda, and the Bahamas list and ranked number 26 in Travel & Leisure Magazine’s top 100 Hotels in the World list.